TURTLE CUPCAKES

Turtle Cupcakes image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories dessert

Yield 12 turtle cupcakes

Number Of Ingredients 9

6 small green gumdrops (for the tails)
12 vanilla cupcakes
2 1/4 cups vanilla buttercream
3/4 cup green sanding sugar
12 green jelly beans (for the heads)
Black or brown food coloring gel
12 green gumdrop fruit slices, halved horizontally and vertically (for the flippers)
84 green candy-coated chocolates, such as M&M's (for the shell)
84 brown candy-coated chocolates, such as M&M's (for the shell)

Steps:

For the tails: Place the small green gumdrops on the work surface standing upright. Cut each gumdrop in half by cutting straight down with a sharp knife.
To assemble: Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons buttercream. Place the green sanding sugar in a small bowl. Invert each cupcake into the sugar and press gently to adhere.
Stick a green jelly bean straight into the frosting for the head. Using a #2 round piping tip, pipe on 2 buttercream eyes. Then dip a toothpick into the black or brown food coloring gel and create the pupils for the eyes. Push the flippers into the edges of the cupcake frosting. Attach a half gumdrop tail between the back legs. Pipe a little frosting onto 7 green and 7 brown candies before gently pressing them into the frosting on the "back" of each turtle to make the shell. Repeat steps for all cupcakes.